THE BEST OF BILLY OCEAN: Reliving The Soul Of The 80's With One Of The Decade's Premiere Top Hitmakers

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The 15-Track Collection, Due In Stores June 6 From Jive/Legacy, Includes Such Era-Defining Classics As “Caribbean Queen,” “Suddenly,” “Loverboy,” “Love Zone,” “When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going” and “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car”

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The Singer/Songwriter's First Worldwide Tour In Over Ten Years Begins June 16
In Tacoma, Washington, With More Dates To Follow

Everyone with a pulse and a radio remembers where they were when they first heard the funky, calypso grooves of “Caribbean Queen,” the breakthrough million selling, Grammy Award winning hit that made Billy Ocean an international superstar. The song was so massive that, depending on the region where it was played, its title and lyrics were changed to “African Queen” and “European Queen” to fit the native vibe.  

That song, coupled with a hard driving “Loverboy” (which hit #2 on the U.S. pop chart) and the lush ballad “Suddenly” (#4), resulted in Ocean's album Suddenly going triple platinum and spending a year on the U.S. charts.

With hit after hit through the end of the decade, the Trinidad born singer/songwriter, born Leslie Charles, became so indentifiable with 80's pop soul that many forget that he actually had his first chart success many years earlier. In 1976, “Love Really Hurts Without You” hit #22 on the Billboard Pop Chart in the U.S. and soared to #2 in his adopted homeland of the U.K.

While that early hit is included in The Best of Billy Ocean ,  the exciting new 15-track greatest hits package from Jive/Legacydue in stores June 6 is truly a celebration of a uniquely 80's pop culture phenomenon whose classic songs remain staples on radio to this day. 

Drawing inspiration from his calypso and soul heritage and his love for pop and rock bands like The Beatles and Rolling Stones, Ocean has collected Gold and Platinum awards from around the globe and hit #1 on the pop charts in the U.S., Australia, Germany, Holland and the U.K. He has sold over 30 million singles and albums worldwide and achieved extraordinary success as both a pop singer and songwriter.

In addition to the hits from Suddenly , The Best of Billy Ocean includes a seemingly endless hit parade of songs that most fans know from the first chords or lyrics: “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car” (U.S. Pop #1), “When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going” (#2), “There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)” (#1), “Love Zone” (#10), “Love Is Forever” (#16) and “The Colour of Love” (#17).

Additional tracks include slightly lesser known gems like his 1981 #1 Black Single “Nights (Feel Like Getting Down),” “Tear Down These Walls” and “I Sleep Much Better (In Someone Else's Bed),” which features a rap by labelmate Will Smith. 

In June, 2006, after an absence of over ten years, Ocean will launch a major worldwide tour in celebration of his 30 year career in music, beginning with a show at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington on the 16th. The tour, which will eventually hit 25-30 dates, includes stops in Reno (6/24), San Diego (6/25), Kansas City, MO (7/07), Belterra, IN (7/08), St. Charles, MO (7/13), Hershey, PA (7/16), Westbury, NY (7/26), New York, NY (7/27) and Uncasville, CT.